The In Between
by becomes the day
Summary: It has been five years since Aria Montgomery graduated from Rosewood High and ended things with Ezra. She had a good reason but now that reason is gone. What happens when Aria and Ezra meet after five years apart? Is there really anything left?
1. Losing My Memory

The story below is based on the ABC Family television series Pretty Little Liars and the book series by Sara Shepard. Many of the plot points are based off what happens in the book series and are in no way spoilers for the series.

* * *

><p>Remember the day<br>'Cause this is what dreams should always be  
>I just want to stay<br>I just want to keep this dream in me

* * *

><p>The night sky glistened with the lights from the buildings above and the street lamps and cars below. The city that never slept was buzzing and the air was cool. It was almost midnight as Aria Montgomery stepped out of her small studio apartment and onto the old medal balcony were she spent a great deal of her time, especially on unseasonably warm Saturday nights like this one. She walked to the very edge and leaned both hands on the railing as she surveyed the city and took it all in. It had been almost five year since she left Rosewood but sometimes it felt like just yesterday and she couldn't believe how different her life was.<p>

Sometimes she imaged going back in time and talking to her sixteen-year-old self. She wished she could tell her that everything would eventually work itself out. She wished she could tell her that she had so many amazing adventures ahead of her and as bad as things seemed back then they would only get better in time. She suddenly shuttered at the thought of her life back then and how horrible things had gotten.

It had all started with her father's affair, then came Alison's disappearance then came the whole A thing and then their was her secret affair with her high school English teacher. It had been a downward spiral of epic proportions. But now it had been five years since they had discovered that A was Mona and that it wasn't Ally who was murdered that night but her secret twin sister Courtney.

Aria could still remember how it felt seeing Ally for the first time in a year when she came out of hiding. She had explained that she witnessed her sister's murder that she knew had been intended for her and explained how she had fled the area in fear for her life. That should have been their happy ending but as time went on more and more of Ally's secrets would unravel and they discovered that Ally had not only killed Courtney herself but also killed Ian and later Mona. She had later picked up the role of A and continued to torture the girls. She had even gone as far as repeatedly injuring Toby, forcing Maya and Caleb to leave town and financially supporting Jackie Molina in her efforts to win Ezra back. All the while acting like the best friend they had all thought she was. After the girls had discovered her secret Ally claimed she had done it all out of revenge over the fact that the girls had never realized that for the last two years prior to her death Courtney had been pretending to be Ally. Ally claimed she had escaped from the mental institution; Courtney locked her away in, the night of the murder just in time to take revenge on her sister and the girls but with no proof there was nothing the girls could do and Ally threatened to kill every last one of them and all the people they loved most if they spilled a word. Ally was so deranged that she wanted things to go back to they way they were before. She wanted the five of them to all be best friends forever and for no one else to interfere. The only way the girls knew to defeat Ally was to escape, each one on there own and leaving all their loved ones behind. So that's what they did the day after graduation. They all went off on their own and it would be a year until enough evidence on Ally was found and she was finally put in jail on 3 counts of 1st degree murder. That year was one of the loneliest in Aria's life. She was constantly looking over her shoulder as Ally had vowed to find and kill all of them. On top of the fear was the sadness and the loneliness that came with not seeing her family, the girls and having to break things off with Ezra the day of their graduation. She could still remember that moment and everything about it like it was yesterday.

-Flashback-

Aria woke that morning with a feeling of terror and a deep sadness for what she knew this day would hold. It was the morning of her high school graduation and instead of being excited for this momentous occasion and spending quality time with her family she was about do the hardest thing she had ever done. She quickly dressed herself in a simple black dress and heels, grabbed her cap and gown, left a quick note for her parents and speed off in the direction of apartment 3B. As she approached the door she thought about all of the fights, reunions, talks and romance that had gone down in the small apartment. She thought of the incredible relationship her and Ezra had built over the past two years and all the obstacles they had overcome. Then she took but a moment to think of just how much he was looking forward to her graduation. He had been so grateful that she asked him to be there and he had told her how important it was to him to get to be there for her on one of the most important days of her life. She couldn't bare the thought of breaking his heart but she knew she had to do this in order to keep him safe.

She wiped away the few tears that she had let escape and unlocked the door with the key Ezra had made for her and slipped inside. The apartment was quiet and for a moment she thought he wasn't home until she heard rustling coming from the bathroom. She cleared her thought in order to draw attention to herself. She noticed the rustling suddenly stop and she mentally braced herself. She was about to see Ezra Fitz for the last time and she needed to make it count. She would take every part of him in and keep in with her forever. She would take in everything about him and try not to miss a thing. The emotional impact of the moment was too great and she began to silently cry. Ezra backed out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and his running shorts. He was obviously about to head out for a run. As he turned to face her she took everything in from the ratty, sweat stained Hollis t-shirt to the silly black running shorts that the girls had once said he looked hot in to the way his hair grown messy with curls because he had missed a few haircuts. She had always loved his messy, curly brown hair. As dashing and old-Hollywood handsome as he looked with short hair the curls always reminded her of the first time they met. It wasn't long before the knee weakening ear to ear smile on his gorgeous face and that oh so famous glimmer in his beautiful blue eyes disappeared as he realized that Aria was crying. Suddenly his face sank and he rushed over to her, as he was about to wrap his arm around her she quickly placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back in order to keep a good amount of space between them. This action clearly shocked him. She removed her hand from his perfectly toned chest. She could still feel the contours of it even with the t-shirt on. Any kind of contact was too much for her. Finally she broke the silence.

"Ezra, there is something you need to know." She wiped more tears from her face and cleared her throat.

"Whatever it is you don't need to cry about it. You know you can tell me anything without judgment."

"I know." And she did know. She had told him all of her darkest secrets and he never stopped loving her or even so much as lectured her. He always listened intently and when she was done he would reassure her that there was nothing she could ever say that would make him stop loving her. Even kissing Jason hadn't swayed him.

"Come on what's going on. You should be happy you're finally being released from that place to referred to as teenage prison." She couldn't help but smile at his attempt at a joke. She had learned long ago that her smile could almost always bring out his. This time was no exception. It was all too much to handle.

"Look I need to say something and if you keep talking and grinning at me then I'm going to lose it so just please be quiet so I can get this out." Ezra's face turned serious.

"I know that we have talked about our future a lot and we decided together that we would both stay here and I would start at Hollis in the fall but I had applied to several schools just to satisfy my parents and yesterday I found out I got accepted into the Sorbonne. I was granted admittance to their literature program with an invitation to join the summer session. The thing is you know more than anyone that this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You always worried that us being together would prevent me from getting to really experience my college years. I'm not saying this is forever but I really think I need this." Good, Aria thought to herself. That sounds perfectly logical and it wasn't a total lie. It was an amazing school and a once in a lifetime opportunity but she also knew being with Ezra was the most incredible opportunity she would ever get. Had Ally not caused so much chaos this day would be so different and they probably would have been discussing living arraignments for next year.

"Ok."

"No I'm not finished." She took both of Ezra's hands and led him to the couch. She sat down on the edge of the coffee table so she could look him directly in the eye.

"I don't know how long I will be gone. I have already accepted the invitation for the summer semester and the fall semester. I have to leave tomorrow to catch my flight and the thing is I don't really plan on coming back anytime soon which I gather is not fair to you. So that is why I think we need to break up."

"Are you serious? Is this real?" Ezra's beautiful blue eyes began to fill with tears. Aria knew if she cried it would just make matters worse so she sucked in a big breath of air and pretended like her heart wasn't shattering into a million pieces.

"Yes I'm sorry but I have to do this." Ezra shoved Aria's hands away and stood up. He began pacing back and forth in front of her. He was angry and hurt, that much was obvious.

"I don't understand how you can be so caulis and matter of fact about this. After all we have been through. After breaking up so many times in the beginning. After surviving Noel, Jason and Jackie. After finally coming out to your parents to only have them ban me from ever seeing you again. After all of that you want to end it like this." Aria didn't know what to say. He walked back to the couch and sat in front of her. His eyes were scrutinizing every move she made.

"Ezra I've been thinking about this for while and I think its best we try and find people who make more sense to be with."

"That is a bull line and you know it. You have always been the first to say that we make more sense that nearly every couple on the planet. You told me you loved me. You told me I was all you would ever wanted. You told me that no one else would ever make you feel the way I make you feel. You told me you wanted to get married and build a life and a family together. What about all of that?"

"I don't know, Ezra I'm 18 I don't really know what I want. I know that I love you and that there will probably never be anyone in my life that means more to me than you do but I have to do this." Suddenly the look on Ezra's face changed it was like he realized she was serious and this was real. She knew she couldn't pretend anymore and she finally let the tears fall. Ezra's face was streaming with tears. She took both of his hands in hers and leaned her forehead against his. She breathed deeply. They sat like that for a few minutes until she realized she was going to be late. She stood up and Ezra walked her to the door. She stopped for a moment and reached up on her tip toes to leave a soft kiss on Ezra's cheek. This was something she had done so many times but this time was different. He had shut his eyes and let it all sink in. Then she backed away and slowly and sweetly moved a piece of hair out of his eyes. She pulled her key out from her pocket and pushed it into his hand. Then she opened the door and let herself out.

Once the door was shut tightly behind her she ran to her car. She drove for while until she found an abandoned parking lot and pulled over. She sat there for what felt like forever sobbing. Finally she caught a glimpse of the clock and realized she was going to be late for the rehearsal. She took out her phone and quickly sent Ezra a text telling him he didn't have to come to graduation because it would be too hard. He never responded but she knew that was the lowest blow she could throw. She knew how badly he had wanted to be there for her and how honored he had been when she asked. She wanted him there more than anything. He was the one person she wanted to be there. He was the most important person in her life and this was the most important moment in her life. She wished more than anything that they could somehow still share it but she knew that dream was dead. This was really it she thought.

She sped to the venue they were holding the ceremony at and made it with time to spare. She was smart enough to forgo makeup that morning knowing full well it would be ruined. So she headed to the bathroom to do her makeup, touch up her hair and put on her cap and gown. Once she was finished she checked the mirror and suddenly it was all very real.

The rehearsal was as boring as ever and all the girls had decided it was best to pretend they had a falling out so none of them spoke. The ceremony was nice and Aria looked over into the audience a few times when she heard her Dad and Mike yelling. Aria's parents knew about her plan and she had told her mother that she was breaking things off with Ezra that morning. When she finally locked eyes with her mother she could feel the sympathy and her mother's acknowledgement of her pain. She nodded in recognition and her mother nodded back. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and in what seemed like no time at all is was Aria's turn to walk across the stage. The student ahead of her was taking longer than expected making some crazy gestures to his friends so Aria took her time to stare into the audience before stepping up the stairs to the stage. She saw the happy, smiling, proud faces of her mother, father, mike, the Hastings, Mrs. Marin, and the Fields. This was normal she thought. This is what this moment is supposed to feel like. She continued to scan the crowd and much to her surprise only a few rows back and directly across from where she stood sat Ezra Fitz. He was wearing the most incredible suit and had gotten a haircut, she knew he had scheduled way in advance for this day. It felt like the entire room froze the moment they locked eyes. It was like everyone else in the room disappeared and everything went silent. All he did was nod and she turned away just in time to prevent herself from bursting into tears and walked across the stage to accept her diploma.

After the ceremony was over everyone stood around taking pictures, talking about their future plans and saying their goodbye. Aria's ever so popular parents had been pulled away and Mike had gone out to the car to wait until it was all over. Aria stood in a middle of this huge room with the bouquet of flowers her parents had given her cradled in her arms. She stood alone silently taking it all in until suddenly she felt someone's hand touch her back. Without turning around she knew who it was. She couldn't bare looking at his face. After all she had done and said he still came. He knew how happy she had been when he accepted her offer and he came for her. He came to be there for her and he didn't care how badly she had hurt him. He was not going to let her down. A chill went up her spine as he gently pushed the hair on one side of her shoulder over and tucked it behind her ear. She closed her eyes as he rested one hand on the side of her neck. Quiet tears began to escape. He knelt down and whispered into her exposed ear,

"Congratulations Ms. Montgomery. I know you will get everything you want in life but if you ever wonder if I got what I wanted in life just know that the only thing I'll ever want is you." She sucked in a deep breath and she felt him place a kiss on the back of her head for one final time. Then he disappeared and she stood alone crying. It was all too much to take and she collapsed to her knees on the floor. Hanna, Spencer and Emily were all in the room and forgot the rules of their game and rushed over to her. They all knelt down and held her as she cried. They cried together for every one of them was leaving someone they loved behind. They cried for Aria and they cried because they knew this would be their final moment together.

-End of Flashback-

The events of that day had left a permanent scar on her heart. Even though the girls and everyone they loved were safe now that Alison was behind bars they all decided after her sentencing that it was best if they remained apart. Aria had grown homesick after a year and a half in Europe and decided to return to the states. She spent the next three years working on her Bachelor's Degree in Literature at NYU and interning at a very prestigious publishing house. In her last year the head of the English department offered her a position as a TA while she worked on her Masters. Aria had accepted and set up permanent residence in a one-room studio apartment in SOHO above this amazing little coffee shop. She had so many fantastically oddball friends and a sweet boyfriend of two years named Kevin. They had met at a poetry reading in the East Village and forged a wonderful relationship based one numerous mutual interests. Kevin was sweet, kind, thoughtful, adorable, insightful and seemed to fit in perfectly with her friends. The biggest highlight of them all was he was her age which meant her parents loved him and he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Ella, Byron and Mike when they would come visit. She had even brought him back to Rosewood for Christmas this past year and he had been wonderful. She had so much to be grateful for but every so often that last image she had of Ezra's tear socked face would creep into her mind. The mere mention of the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" or the beginning cords of "Happiness" by The Fray would always break her heart. It was like every time she felt almost whole again something would happen that would remind her of him and she would remember just how irrevocably broken she was.


	2. Enchanted

It was Sunday morning and for aria that meant one thing, alone time! It was the one day a week she didn't have to go to work or school. She always spent Sunday alone in her apartment all day just lounging around catching up on her reading or writing something for herself. It was the same routine, wake up and make coffee and breakfast then spend the whole day in her pjs eating leftover takeout. Today was no different. She woke up around 10:30 and groggily stumbled over to the coffee maker and presses brew. When it neglected to start she realized it was out of coffee. She groaned.

"You have got to be kidding me!"

She knew that was the last of her coffee so this meant she made to go out and get

more. Aria couldn't function without her morning coffee so she broke her Sunday rule and got ready to leave her apartment. She decided rather than going all the way to the market she would just grab a quick cup from the cafe below her place and go to the store on Monday. She wanted to make this trip as quick as possible. Get it, get out and get back. She threw her long, dark locks into a high pony tail. Then she slipped the grey Hollis t-shirt her father had bought her for Christmas last year, over her head and put on a matching pair of sweatpants and slipped her feet into her most comfortable pair of moccasins. Normally she took great pride in her clothes, being the fashion lover she was but she figured she wouldn't see anyone and this would only take a few minutes.

She grabbed her keys and wallet and headed out the door. She practically sprinted

down the stairs and down to the coffee shop but the moment she reached for the door handle the sign in the window reminded her that they had shut down for a week while the owner was on vacation. She knew the only place with coffee just as good was 5 blocks away and she had only been there a few times. It wasn't her territory and it wasn't home like Jim's had become. Begrudgingly she turned herself around and started walking. She kept her head down and tried her best not to make eye contact with anyone. She became anxious and began to run. She wasn't paying any attention and all of a sudden she looked up and everything went dark.

As she attempted to gain her barring's she tried to evaluate the situation at hand. She realized someone was holding her. She must have run head first into a total stranger. How embarrassing, she thought. This man had caught her before she fell or knocked him over. She could not have been more embarrassed. She looked up to catch a glimpse of this man but as she did he pushed her back onto her feet. She looked down and straightened herself in a effort to make it look like it was all no big deal. Then she heard the man's voice,

"Hey Miss are you ok?" Her blood went cold. Everything inside her body was frozen but her head was screaming at her. She knew this voice. She had to. It had been so long but she knew. She could feel every inch of her body ignite and memories began rushing at her like a tidal wave. It was HIS voice. She looked up slowly.

"Ezra?" Her voice was shaky and full of uncertainty.

-Ezra POV-

Man this chick is walking so fast and she isn't even looking. If she doesn't look up then she is going to run right into me. She'll look up, she has to. BAM! Right into my chest. This girl just walked right into me. For such a tiny person she packed quite a punch.

"Umph"

Damn it, she must have hit her head cause she is going down. Quick man, grab her, Ezra thought. She began to sway so he set her back on her feet. As she attempted to straighten herself up herself up he asked,

"Hey Miss are you ok?" Slowly the small girl with lots of force looked up at him. He couldn't believe his eyes. He had to blink a few times to make sure it was real. There she was after all this time, right in front of him. It would be five years next month since he has seen her last. Yet somehow it felt like yesterday. He couldn't move. She had paralyzed him. This was the woman he had loved so dearly and broken his heart so severely. He was at a loss but damn was she just as beautiful as ever. That long flowing burgundy hair and those heartbreakingly beautiful hazel eyes. Even with her hair up and wearing sweats she still looked as stunning as ever. She didn't look much different but she definitely appeared more grown up. She was a woman now, around 23 he supposed. Finally the silence broke.

"Ezra?" Hearing her say his name was still music to his ears but wait…

-Aria's POV-

He looked as shocked as she felt. He had turned those swoon inducing blue eyes on her. That voice, that face, those eyes and that body. He looked like no time had gone by. Ezra looked exactly the same now as the day she left him five years ago. He was as dumbfoundingly handsome as ever. It was all too much. It was like her body was going into overload and she began to lose her balance. As she fell forward he grabbed her again. This time when she came to she leaned into him and became over whelmed by the scent of him.

"Oh!" She yelped. Immediately regretting it she covered her mouth and stepped back onto her feet.

"Aria?" She could only nod in response.

"I just. I just. Wow! I can't believe its you." He pulled her into a hug, almost instinctively. Then suddenly he released her after realizing just how inappropriate that action was.

"So wait. What are you doing here?"

"I live here."

"You live here?"

"Well not right here. About five blocks down."

"Oh wow. I guess I just assumed you were still in France."

"Nope. That only lasted about a year. I missed the states too much."

Ezra was crushed. He should be but he was. He had always thought Aria left him for Paris and it comforted him to know she was somewhere incredible. When he realized she had returned after only a year it made him angry. He was angry she had thrown them away for something that had only lasted a year and he was hurt she never told him she was back.

"Oh, yeah."

"So what are you doing here Mr. Fitz?" She was trying to be playful. The tension was palpable and she could tell the notion that she had only been in France for a year had bothered him. He was doing his best to hide his emotions.

"Well actually its Dr. Fitz to you."

"Doctor. Wow. When did that happen?"

"Well I decided if I was going to continue to teach college I should probably get my doctorate. I was offered a teaching position at a small school in Manhattan and they agreed to let me work on my degree while I taught."

"Early American Lit, I presume."

"You would be correct and how about you Aria Montgomery. What have you been up to?"

"After leaving France I can back here and majored in English Lit. Now I'm studying for my master's. Oh and I've been working as a T.A. for one of my former professor's on a full time basis."

"Can't say I'm surprised. Always knew you would do great things. So have you published any of your writings?"

"No but I heard you have."

"Yeah. Actually I'm surprised you even heard about me and my little book."

"Your little book made it to the New York Time's Best Seller list."

"Yeah."

"Yeah. That's huge Ezra. I was so proud of you when I heard that. I couldn't believe it. I'm so glad you finally let someone else read your work."

"I guess it's your turn now."

"That is not going to happen any time soon."

"Aww why not?" Aria had almost forgotten how much Ezra had supported her back then and believed in her writing. He was so sincere.

"Well that would mean I would have to get it published and I can't see anyone devoting their time to my dribble."

"Aria you are a fantastic writer and anyone would be lucky to read the things you have say." Then he smiled that heartbreaking smile of his. His eyes sparkled and she suddenly remembered just how weak in the knees that ear to ear grin made her. He was the same as ever. It seemed Ezra Fitz was just as amazing as he was the last time they were together. She now understood more than ever why she had been unable to tear herself away from him back then. Suddenly her heart was filled with hope. Maybe this was serendipity. Maybe this is a sign they belong together, she thought. Their second chance.

Just then a tall, leggy blonde walked out of the café with two coffees in hand. Aria stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth was agape. She was sure this woman was either Blake Lively or her identical twin. She was beyond gorgeous. As the woman began to walk in her direction she wondered whom she might be taking that other coffee to. Her stylist, agent, manager, fabulous gay best friend or her wealthy male model type boyfriend. Aria's curiosity didn't last long because suddenly that question was answered. She walked up to Ezra and tapped him on the shoulder with the coffee cup. He turned around and took the cup from her hand while simultaneously placing a quick kiss on her check. Then the beautiful blonde woman intertwined her fingers with Ezra's. Aria was stunned. It was a total nightmare. This woman could not have been more gorgeous, more stylish or more his age than she could ever hope to be. The seemed like a perfect fit. Aria looked down and her sweats and then patted her messy hair. She suddenly remembered just how frumpy she looked in this moment. How could she ever compete, she thought. The answer was simple, she couldn't.

Ezra noticed her reaction. He could tell Aria felt intimidated by this mystery woman of his. Yes she beautiful. Yes she was tall and stylish and yes she was a model. She was any straight man's dream but somehow she was his. As he looked at her he realized out of everyone he had ever seen no one had been as beautiful as this woman. Everyone around her knew it. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel for god sakes. But looking between her flawlessness and Aria's disheveled mess of an outfit he couldn't help but think she in her sweats was more beautiful. Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted.

"Ezra are you going to introduce me to your friend or do I have to do it myself?"

"Oh I'm sorry. Yes, babe this is Aria Montgomery. She grew up in Rosewood."

"Oh so did you two go to Hollis together?"

"Nope." Both Aria and Ezra chimed in simultaneously. That was weird and they both could feel it.

"Actually he was my teacher at Rosewood High for a while."

"Yep and I taught with her dad at Hollis."

"Yeah that's right." It had been five years and they were still lying about the logistics of their relationship. It would seem that would never change.

"Well Aria any old friend of Ezra's is a friend of mine." She freed her hand and reached out to shake Aria's.

"My name is Natalie by the way." Aria tried to hold out hope. Maybe they were just friends.

"So how do you two know each other?"

"Well she is my girlfriend going on what two years now." He looked to her for conformation. She nodded and smiled back. Then as she went to brush a piece of her golden hair from her eyes the sunlight caught on the most enormous rock atop her left ring finger. It was like seeing the ball in Time Square. It was that fantastic. It looked just like the Bennifer ring but more majestic. Jenifer Lopez would have been envious of this ring. Aria was not being quite as subtle as she thought and Natalie had caught her staring at the ring.

"Oh, well not girlfriend as of last night. I'm your fiancé now buddy boy." She smiled at Ezra and he smiled back. He smiled back with that smile. That was her smile, Aria thought. She couldn't believe it. She didn't know whether to throw up, cry or punch this woman in the face. How could this be real? What was she to do now?


End file.
